1. Field of the Invention
The present invention deals with coke ovens and, in particular, with seals for coke oven doors.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In coke ovens, coal is conventionally coked in horizontal oven chambers which are interposed between flues containing hot gases. At opposite ends of these chambers there are doors which seal the oven chambers during the coking procedure and are removed to allow the coke to be pushed. Coke oven gases are generated inside the oven chamber and are evacuated to a collecting main. In order, however, to prevent oxygen from entering the chambers during the coking process, these gases are conventionally maintained at a pressure which is approximately 1 psi greater than atmospheric pressure so that if any leaks in the door occur outward emissions of coke oven gases rather than inward leaks of oxygen will result. While such an arrangement avoids combustion of the coke in the event of leaks, it does necessitate the use of a door seal which effectively seals the relatively large peripheral dimension of a coke oven door at high temperatures while the interior of the oven is maintained at a positive pressure relative to the atmosphere.
The prior art discloses numerous means for sealing coke oven doors. In many of these arrangements, a resilient metal sealing member on the door bears against a metal door frame. In certain devices, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,045, spring driven plungers are positioned at spaced intervals along the periphery of the door to force the resilient sealing member against the door jamb. While such sealing means are effective when a door and jamb are originally installed, it is found that after sustained periods of use warping may occur so that the distance between the jamb and the door over the height of the door may become disuniform. In particular, it is found that the jamb may bow away from the door so that is tightly sealed at its top and bottom but spaced from the door near the center of its height. Although the use of intermittently spaced plungers may alleviate leakage resulting from such warping to some degree, the restraining force provided by the plungers may tend to be concentrated to the extent that leakage of coke oven gases may tend to occur medially between them. It is, therefore, the object of the present invention to provide a coke oven door seal that effectively compensates for any warping which may occur between the door and the door jamb.